Youthful Perceptions
by nutnatz
Summary: Post GT, Goku's back from the dragon's place but is still stuck in a child's body. ChiChi takes drastic measires to be with him, but is it worth it? Chp 6 up.
1. Intro by goku

Disclaimer: I do not own Dragon ball Z or any of its concepts. Akira Toriyama. Permission granted by Maria Cline to sequel her story "Just One Cut".

Authors note: I just want to say thank you to Maria who has been so helpful and great while I was writing this story. Italics indicate Flashbacks. 

**Youthful Perceptions: Sequel to Just One Cut by Maria Cline**

By Natz 

Goku's eyes fluttered open. It was still dark, still night. It had been a while that he'd last slept on that bed and he was relishing the experience. Just as he'd remembered, it was soft and comfortable. However, it now seemed huge in comparison to him, but he didn't mind it. It was his bed and he was glad to be there.

His line of vision came to rest on the body next to him. Her chest was rising and falling with calm, natural breaths and there was a slight smile on her lips. He smiled at the sight. It had been a long time since he had felt so comfortable watching her sleeping in their bed. Before, there had been feeling of discomfort on both their parts. He had known in his mind that his "situation" had been the problem. 

One of her hands was lying on the pillow and he glanced at it. There in the middle of her palm was a scar, a still healing wound, which she had inflicted upon herself. She confused him sometimes; actually it was most of the time. Before his confusion had been based on her penchant for a fierce and violent temper and her insistence that Gohan study and not fight. But now, he felt that understood her motives better. He understood how lonely and desperate she must have been to do it. He felt closer to her now than he had for a long time and he knew it was because of what she had done to herself. He had missed her so much. 

The body next to him stirred and shivered. He immediately pulled her closer to him and wrapped one arm around her gently. When she was sleeping she seemed so helpless, so different from when she was awake. He remembered doing that before, when they were...well older...younger…well before. Their situation was confusing him now. He knew that things had changed a lot from then but then he did not mind it. 

In the last few days, since she had used the knife, things had changed. They were more relaxed around each other and things were always more fun for them. The Flying Nimbus had become their personal chauffeur as they had romped around the world at her request. He had been surprised when she had appeared in the clearing a few days earlier. 

*******

_She was wearing a blue gi with a purple band, which he had never seen before. She had her long raven black locks down and tied back off her face with a purple band. He laughed as at that moment she reminded him of Pan. She looked straight in his eyes with a stubborn glare._

_ " I want you to train me," she had said with her 'I'm Son Chi Chi and I don't think you want to mess with me right now' glare. _

_ He had fallen over when he heard those words. " Ummm… Chi, do you really want to do that? I mean it's a lot of work and you would have to be away from the house a lot."_

_ " What do you mean by that? Don't you think I can do it? I am a fighter too remember. Do you need me to remind you?"_

_ Images of the ever-present frying pan were conjured up in his mind. He stuttered, "Ummm… no … no, I know you can fight. " He relented with a sigh, " I guess I could train you" _

_ He watched as her eyes went to stars and she began jumping up and down gaily. He began to laugh and jump up and down as well. She jumped toward him and grabbed his hands. "This is going to be so much fun", she shrieked with delight. _

_ "But Chi…?" he stopped suddenly causing her to trip and fall to the ground. He had remembered something very important. "If you are here training, then who is going to cook?"_

_ He watched as her eyes turned narrow and he could see the telltale redness in her pupils. He knew what was coming next. *Oops*. He watched as if in slow motion the familiar shape was drawn from behind her back and he felt a slight but very familiar on his head tingle. He grinned at her. " Well at least I know you are fast", he quipped and had begun to run away from her. He could feel her close behind him. " Ha, ha you can't catch me" _

_ "Come back here Son Goku!!" she had bellowed, but there was a hint of amusement in her voice and she had proceeded to chase after him in his diminutive form with her trusty frying pan in tow._

********

         Goku chuckled softly as he remembered what a beating she'd tried to give him when he had slowed down enough to let her catch him. After all their years together she knew his weak spots and it told whenever she tried to fight him. It never really hurt but he was always left feeling a little winded. She was still a warrior. 

He glanced back over to her laying peacefully the bed. Her eyes were closed but he knew them well. Sometimes they were the colour of coal, hard and with the ability to burst in to flames at any moment. At other times they were like the night sky, with sparkles in them that reminded him of the stars. They held such secrets within them. She herself was a mystery. He had not understood her wish to marry him those years before. In fact at that time he did not know what marriage was. But he knew it sounded good, like food. He laughed inwardly again at the comparison. Truthfully, it was like food in a way, ranging in the ways that it appeared, its quality and it's filling nature. And just as he loved food he loved their marriage. He had always loved it. 

Then he blushed profusely, as all the things they had done before his 'situation' had made it impossible started to rush back to his head. The things which she told him had given them Gohan and Goten. He remembered that before he had especially enjoyed that part of it and he loved their sons with all his heart. Just as suddenly his heart ached, remembering the reason why they had stopped. Even with her sacrifice they were still in no position to start that again. He just had no desire to now. He blushed once more. *Maybe in a couple of years, if she still wants to, that is*. Now things were different.

He tried to push his thoughts away from that. For some strange reason Master Roshi and Oolong popped into his head, laughing and snorting in the way they always did when they were looking at their books and watching the aerobics channel. He still didn't understand why they did that. Bulma had always called them perverts and he knew that they were always called 'dirty'. He once again tried to stop thinking those thoughts. He never wanted to be compared to Oolong on the pervert scale.

He then realised that the room was filling with light. It was morning! He smiled. He had always loved the way the thin lace curtains in their room caught the light. The dark shadows were fleeing from the walls and were replaced by sparkling diffusing light. Morning was always so exciting. He could hear all the animals waking up and moving around outside. He could hear the rustling of wings as the birds, which lived in the sequoia tree across from their capsule house, were waking up and going for a morning flight.

Then the body in his arms began to move around. The eyes he had just been looking at opened and blinked three times. They had the same colour as the blackest feather of the biggest, healthiest raven he'd ever seen. He smiled at her. "Good morning Chi." Her eyes opened wide and her nose wrinkled in disgust. He continued smiling as she stuttered.

"Ohhh, morning breath… nasty!" She then proceeded to push him away from her hard. As he was taken by surprise she managed to push him off the bed. He landed with a bounce. 

"Chi!!!" 

" You smell like something Goten and Trunks did when they were babies. Go wash…a lot… and with soap and water and don't forget toothpaste."

"Sorry Chi didn't realise. Guess I forgot to bathe after sparring with Gohan yesterday."

" OHHHH, Son Goku, you are soo disgusting. I am glad that at least one of our sons is unlike you and actually knows good hygiene"

"Heheheh, Chiiiii! Please don't be mad. I'll go get clean right now.

And with that Goku jumped up from the ground, barely taller than the huge four poster bed and rushed out of the room leaving Son Chi Chi in the room with a half frown, half grin on her face.

He rushed outside to the large bathtub under the tree canopy. Although they had a shower in their home he still felt cleaner when he used their old bathtub. He used a small blast of ki to light the wood under the tub and pulled the lever to release the water from the tank suspended above it. A few seconds later, if anyone had been watching, they would have seen a very naked twelve year old boy with spiky black hair launch himself in the air, flip and land with a huge splash in the large tub. Goku laughed loudly and splashed around for a while. Then remembering what his wife had sent him to do. He found the soap on the side of the tub and began to scrub himself clean. Once that was done he pulled out his toothbrush and toothpaste and began to vigorously scrub his teeth.

When he was finished he pulled the plug and watched as the water flowed out of the tub and out through a drain. With his task accomplished he ran, still very wet and just as naked back to the house. The smell of Chi Chi's cooking filled the air. "Ohhh pancakes" he yelped and ran into the house. He ran into the house and was accosted by the smell of blueberry, strawberry, banana and chocolate pancakes. This was in addition to the piles of fluffy omelettes, bacon, and gallons of juice. 

It was then that Chi Chi screamed. " SON GOKU, WHERE ARE YOUR CLOTHES?"

Goku halted immediately, then grinned the smile only he and his descendants could give. He still didn't get why she was so shocked by him being naked. She had seen him naked before. He looked towards his twelve-year-old wife. She looked very upset. "Oops, sorry, forgot to get clothes" and with that he zoomed upstairs and ran into their bedroom.

He went to the chest of drawers and opened them up. It was filled with a mixture of gi, most of them were orange but there were a few red and blue ones. He pulled out a blue gi and an orange undershirt and proceeded to put them on. He had realised that Chi Chi had started to wear fighting gi like him now since she 'the incident' and strangely enough, they suited her. There was something about them which made them uniquely Chi Chi. He knew that she would have had to get new clothing after she had cut herself but he had expected for her to find dresses, like those she had worn before. The gi made her look even more formidable now, if that was even possible.

He sighed. She had changed a bit since she had decided to make herself his age. Her need to start training again was something he did not expect. He knew that she had trained Goten for a while when he was little, but he never expected her to take back to the rings. She had never explained her decision to train with him. But he had to admit that she was good. Like that day she had actually shocked him.

**********

         _"AAAAUUUGGGGGGHHH!" Chi Chi screamed in agitation as she was trying to hit him but was finding it hard to do so._

_ "Come on Chi. You are fast. You can do it," he began to grin in anticipation for her next blow._

_ They were training in the clearing near the house. They had been at it for nearly an hour but she still could not hit him. He knew that she could do it. She had caught him with the frying pan many times before. _

_ He leapt to his left, just escaping from Chi Chi's extended fist. She screamed once more in frustration and turned swiftly on her heels to clip him in the side with her right elbow. Goku saw her coming and evaded her move. One thing about her, she was surely persistent. And not to mention fairly pissed by now._

_ She screamed, " That's it you are going down mister smarty pants." She pulled back suddenly, and fell into a crouching stance. He stopped moving, puzzled as to what she was doing. He watched as her muscles tensed up and she stared at him angrily. It kinda reminded him of when she used to get mad at him for taking Gohan off to train. However he had never seen this before. _

_ A red aura started to form around her small body and he could feel great energy being given off. The strong wind current that Chi Chi was giving off was affecting bushes and grass, which surrounded them in the clearing. He was stunned. Her ki had begun to rise quickly. His eyes opened wide and his mouth fell open. *Chi Chi has a power up!! * _

_ She clasped her hands and lifted them above her head. The aura began to converge on her arms. Then just as sudden, she brought her arms down forcefully as if she was trying to smash him in his head. She screamed, " SPATLA HA" _

_ He was confused for a moment. She was too far away to touch him. She grinned at him evilly and realisation flooded his mind. A large sweat drop formed on his forehead. All to late he looked up to see a large flat ki cuboid right above his head. It crashed down onto him and the world blinked out of view for a second. He was able to open his eyes then. He was on the ground and Chi Chi was in front of him, with a smug look on her otherwise innocent little girl face._

_ "See, I told you I'd get you. You thought I couldn't use ki attacks, huh?" He looked at her incredulously. She began to laugh at him then. As she laughed she fell onto the ground cackling with amusement. _

_ Out of the bushes Goten, Gohan, Videl and Pan appeared. They seemed to have just arrived as they were staring open mouthed at them. Goten spoke first, " Dad, Mom, what's going on here we felt a power up and it did not feel like dad's. _

_ Chi Chi kept on cackling. She did not seem to be able to stop. Goku grinned and looked over to where their stunned family stood. "Ummm, that was your mom" he stated nonchalantly._

_ Their mouths dropped open even more. "Mom??" That was Gohan._

_ All Chi Chi could do was to stop convulsing long enough to shrug nonchalantly at her confused sons._

********** 

Goku looked into the mirror in front of him and stared at himself. He usually did not do it but for some strange reason he could not help but stare at the image in the glass. He turned on a side and inspected his rear. He remembered that Chi Chi always used to comment on it in private. He never got that. That was another thing, which had confused him about her. Before, when they were alone she would make comments to him about his body. He guessed that was probably why she was so nervous about other people seeing him naked. He never got why she was though. 

"GOKUUUUU, GOOOTEN, food's ready" Chi Chi bellowed from down stairs in the kitchen.

That got his attention fast. He zoomed out of the room like he had not eaten for days .In truth he remembered getting up last night and getting a little 'snack' which had consisted of a few loaves of bread, a jar of peanut butter and another of grape jelly. But that was last night, this was a whole new day and he felt like he would die from hunger if he did not eat in the next ten minutes. 

He met Goten on the way as they practically fell down the stairs.

" Morning dad, "quipped his youngest son.

" Yeah Goten," he replied briefly. He'd talk to him later, now he had to EAT. As if to agree with him his stomach rumbled loudly.

The food was laid out on the table but Chi Chi was gone. It smelled just as good as it always did. This was surely another reason he was glad Chi Chi lived with him. She was a great cook. He could not remember all the times he had been out training with Piccolo, Gohan or Vegeta and had returned home to her food, laid out on the table, waiting for him. 

But now was not the time to be thinking, it was time to eat. He dug into the pile of pancakes with his fork and began to shovel them into his mouth. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Goten mirroring his actions. Then their eyes met and for a moment, only a moment they paused. The tension in the room crackled like the straining of sore muscles. A challenge had been issued. There was no backing down now. Goku dispensed with the fork grabbed at a plateful of blueberry pancakes. They disappeared into the orifice of his mouth. Goten, not to be outdone reached out for the bowl full of scrambled eggs, lifted it to his face and downed all the eggs into his mouth. Little bits of egg clung determinedly to his face after he lowered the bowl. From there on out it was only through flashes of light and colour that the rest of their battle could be seen.

BANG. One of Chi Chi's earthenware bowls crashed to the ground. An apple was flung away from the table and a flash of colour followed it. Before it could hit the floor an open mouth had saved it. Then the flash of light descended once more to the large kitchen table. And soon, the whole table was devoid of edible treats and was now carrying a new burden, two spiky haired males rubbing their stomachs, identical goofy grins on both their faces. And that's the state she found them in when she returned.

"AUUUGGGHHH!!! WHAT ARE YOU TWO DOING?" a loud shriek pierced the previously calm atmosphere in the Son house. 

The birds that resided in nearby trees looked towards the house in curiosity. The scene that lay before them was incredibly hilarious. Three figures; one tall, two short were running out of the small house. The shorter of the male figures was ahead, laughing excitedly. His legs were moving at a speed that could not be discerned with the human eye. The taller one, which looked like a grown up version of the shorter one was moving just as quickly, just behind the short one with a terrified expression on his face and curiously enough was screaming, "NOOOO, MOM… PLEASE DON"T… I DIDN"T MEAN IT… DADDY SAVE MEEEEEE…."

The curious thing about his words was that the one chasing them did not look like she could be the "mom" the he was screaming about. She was a little taller than the shorter male, but was still apparently a little girl, wearing a purple and blue gi. She was holding in her hands a rather old but still dangerous looking frying pan. Her face was contorted in the most odd fashion, which would have been hilarious if it was not so scary. Then suddenly, she stopped chasing them and a red glow formed around her body she held the pan out above her head and it began to glow with the same curious glow. She gave an angry shout that sounded vaguely like "sartensu attack". Then, the forest was consumed in a red light and moments later the two fleeing figures were laying dazed and starry eyed in the clearing in front of the house. 

The small but still terrifying little girl stalked towards their inert bodies, grabbed a foot, which was attached to each of the bodies and preceded to drag them back to the small house they had just come from. She was mumbling, quite visibly irritated, to herself. Once in a while you could hear a "baka" and "kuso" escape from her lips. She entered the small house pulling bodies after her and the door slammed shut behind them.

For a few seconds it was quiet in the woods, which surrounded the small house. Then cautiously, the birds began return to their usual routine and after a few seconds, the forest was back to normal. They were not shocked, that was their usual daily show. It no longer surprised them at all, but they knew that it was wise to always stay out of the way of the dark haired female, no matter how big or small she was. Yep, it was another 'normal' day at the Son house.

******* 

Note: I will only be using Japanese word when Chi Chi is mad… baka means idiot and kuso is basically shit. I prefer to have her curse in Japanese as it is hard to imagine Chi Chi cursing in English.

The attacks are also puns. Spatla is reference to spatulas and Sartensu as a pun on frying pans (sarten means frying pan in Spanish)

*******


	2. Restored Youth

Note: This happens before the events in Chapter one, thus Chi Chi is still wearing a dress. The relevance becomes obvious later. (**…** denotes thoughts)

Youthful Perceptions:Chapter 2- Restored Youth

The first thing that she had noticed when her eyes had opened the day before was how big everything appeared to be. The rooms seemed twice as large and empty as they had been before and even her bed now seemed to be like a huge open field, her sheets like swaddling cloths. The second thing she had realised was how happy she felt because she actually had gone through with it. She had no feelings of worry, none of regret or fear. She was in a state of actual bliss. The whole world seemed to be beckoning her and urging her to go forth and explore it and it's mysteries and wonders. It was as if… yes it had to be that… it was as if her childhood curiosity and longing for adventure had returned to her in the blinking of an eye.

         Her family's reaction to her desperate act was not unexpected. They were actually in shock, amazed that she has done something so reckless. She had always been the dependable one, the stable one… the mom. Yes she was the mom, the one who had always made sure that food was on the table, that the house was clean, the clothes washed and that the kids had done their homework. Yes, that was her life's purpose. She was the mother of Gohan, Goten and sometimes Goku.

         Goku…*

She sighed sadly, as she thought of him … She had always felt like she was the only adult in their relationship. He was always off saving the world with his friends, sometimes willingly sacrificing himself for the 'good' of the world. She always had hated it when he left her. She thought that he disappeared for good when the dragon had taken him away, but he had returned a few months later, grinning goofily and telling everyone how he had made an agreement with Shenlong to sacrifice his ability to turn super saiyan in order that everyone, including him could be revived on earth without the dragonballs in existence. Yes, she was glad to get him back, but there was one big problem. Her beloved, but innately naive husband was still stuck in the 12 year old's body that the stupid blue elf, Pilaf had wished him into. Of course he did not really seem to mind it at all and actually brushed off its importance sometimes. She folded her hand into a tight fist. From the idiot elf, to what was left of the saiyan race, several maniacal androids, an insane ancient demon, an evil alien being and then the dragon himself, it was as if she was destined never to know true happiness. 

Then, suddenly remembering, she looked down at the fist she'd just made. A whole day had passed since she made the cut and she was still in amazement at the drastic change she had undergone. She slowly relaxed her hand and uncurled it from the tight fist. It was her hand, but it was so much different from before. The wrinkles, which had appeared in droves over the years, had disappeared. The calluses had as well. They had developed on her palms from heavy housework. Instead of the old, rough skin she had grudgingly grown accustomed to her hands were now covered with china-smooth, soft skin, which glowed with… that thing she had lost long ago… youth. But she had beaten her continuous plunge into becoming an "old woman". She was now young again and there was the still healing wound in her palm as glaring proof of her act . It was a risk she was very glad she had taken.

Chi Chi arose from the kitchen table she had been sitting and reminiscing at and went over to the sink. Looking up, she frowned. There were some setbacks to being a 50-year-old mother and homemaker in a 12-year-old girl's body. This was one of the more irritating aspects. Since they had never had the need to buy a stepladder before, she was now too short to reach the high cupboards, the stove and the sink. For the last day she had been depending on mostly Goten, who was the only tall one left in the house, and sometimes Goku, who could always levitate to the height he needed, to reach all the high things for her. ** I really need to learn how to do that trick** she thought to herself grumpily.

She walked back over to the kitchen table and dragged one of the heavy chairs over to the sink. Then proceeded to awkwardly climb on to it. However, to her frustration, the bottom of her long dress dragged on the ground and weighed her down. "Stupid dress!" she exclaimed out loud. **Maybe I should get some new clothes like Goku said that I should**. In her smaller body, none of her dresses fit anymore and she had taken to wearing some old dresses of Videl's, which she had found in a box in her daughter-in-law's attic. The dress was frilly and long, with lace sleeves and a V cut neckline. It was one of Videl's dresses from when she was a young girl, and as the daughter of Mr Satan, had to constantly live in the public eye and it was therefore a terribly girly dress.

At that point in time Chi Chi wished that Pan was feminine enough to wear clothes which she could also wear, but no, her granddaughter would never be caught alive in anything which even mildly resembled a dress and Chi Chi did not think that she could stand to wear her granddaughter's usual wardrobe of jeans and cut off T- shirt tops. Even in a twelve-year-old's body, she could never get used to the idea of wearing cropped T-shirts. But what else in the world should she do for clothes? Chi Chi balanced precariously on the chair, her face contorted in a strange way due to her deep thought.

It was then that Goku appeared in the kitchen directly behind her and chirped happily into his little wife's ear, "Hey Chi!" Chi Chi jumped suddenly, the chair she was standing on began to tilt. And in a second Chi Chi was laying face planted into the ground, the chair upturned and next to her.

Goku walked up to her, still smiling cheerfully. "Chi, why are you laying on the ground? Is this some new exercise? It looks pretty cool." And with that Goku laid on the ground next to her, imitating her position on the floor.

Chi Chi groaned at his almost deadly cheerfulness and then after a few seconds sighed resignedly. He was still her naïve, fun loving husband, Son Goku. Nothing, not even death could change him. She decided to humour him. " Yes Goku, I was exercising, but now I'm finished." She pulled herself off the floor and straightened the frilly dress. Her fingertips lightly brushed over the bottom of the skirt and she felt some thing out of place. As she looked down at the bottom of the lacy contraption she realised that there was a huge rip in the cloth. "KUSO!!' she screamed in frustration. It was the only dress she had that fit her properly. 

Goku was up off the floor in a flash, thinking that the scream was aimed at him, but relaxed when he saw her staring forlornly at her dress. He did not really understand why she was upset but for once her anger was not aimed at him, and he was glad. " Hey Chi?" he began slowly, unsure of the extent of her anger.

Chi Chi looked up at him. His face was bright and flushed. **He's probably been sparring with Vegeta** She thought wistfully. He was smiling at her with that heartbreakingly sweet smile of his. He looked exactly the way Goten looked when he was 12. He looked like the Goku she had met and fallen in love with all those years ago. Even though a few seconds ago she had felt like throwing something (or someone) out of the window, for some reason she could not help but smile back at him. " Yes Goku?"

Goku's smile widened even more. "I'm hungry and I was wondering if you finished cooking yet?" 

Chi Chi sighed and looked down at the floor. She had used the magic Knife of Mao to restore her youth and allow her to really live again with her husband, but it seemed like nothing had really changed. She was still stuck in the house waiting for him to come home and eat while he went out and fought, had adventures and sacrificed himself for the good of the earth. Even though she always loved being the wife and mother of the family, she often wished for adventure as well. But she was never strong enough and unlike her friend Bulma, the heart for constant adventure had waned as she grew older. She had wanted to settle down, and have a normal life. But adventure followed Goku like an eager, lost puppy and he was always ready for it. However, acknowledging her limitations, as she grew older, she had resigned herself to the fact that her role was just to be a good mom and wife. And so, She was always left at home, waiting for her boys to return to her, looking for food to satisfy their Saiyan appetites.

She looked back up and him and said bluntly, " I haven't even began to cook yet. In my excitement I forgot to go shopping and I have not been able to really leave the house since then so there is nothing to cook." Goku's face immediately fell as she said those words. He looked so disappointed. She knew that if there was one thing Goku could  
not live without, it was food. Some times she wondered if that was all he really stayed with her for: the food. Chi Chi suddenly had a bright idea. "Goku, we can always go shopping now."

At that his face brightened once more. "Yeah, that's a good idea. Let's go." Goku ran to the window and yelled to the open sky. "Nimbus!!" The air was still for a moment, but soon there was a slight shift in the wind and seconds later the speedy yellow cloud dropped down from the sky into the open window. Goku grinned at his old friend," Hey nimbus, you feel up to a little trip?" The cloud waved gently in the air as if to nod in agreement.

Chi Chi stared at him and laughed inwardly. It was moments like these that really amazed her. The energy that he exuded about the smallest things some times astonished her. Sometimes it made that fact that he never really seemed to care much about her lessen in the pain it caused. Goku jumped onto the cloud, looked back at her and held his hand out. " Come on Chi, the sooner we get groceries, the sooner you can start cooking."

Chi Chi looked up at him and smiled. "Ok Goku" .She took his hand and he gently pulled her up onto the cloud. She landed in his arms and she closed her eyes to absorb the smell of his body, as it was so close to hers. Then she remembered herself and pulled herself from his arms. **Remember, We are 12. We can't really BE together for a while** She thought sadly to herself.

Goku sat cross-legged on the cloud and pulled her into his lap. He wrapped his arms around her to keep her steady on the cloud. He knew that if he did not hold onto her tight, she was liable to fall off. And she could not fly and would probably end up getting hurt if she hit anything before he caught her. And they flew up if the sky, towards the west where they would be sure to find a good market place.

**********

Chi Chi hefted the large watermelon and inspected it for green spots. Even in her small state, she still had enough strength to lift the heavy watermelon, but it helped having Goku around to carry everything she eventually bought. **Thinking of Goku, where is he?**

They had been in the market place for only half an hour so far and already she had lost Goku. The last time she had seen him, he had been hanging around the fishmongers' section holding their basket of food, comparing the fish that were displayed there, to the fish that he regularly caught on his hunting trips. Chi Chi had left him there annoying an exasperated fish seller about the size of her trout. Chi Chi has just wandered over to the fruit stalls to checkout the prices. She carefully put down the watermelon back it its place and turned around to search for Goku. The market was a bit crowded that morning and people was bustling to and fro, carrying packages and baskets of all shapes and sizes. The marketplace was full of the usual sounds of the vendors advertising their wares and people hackling at the prices and quality of the goods. It was extremely busy and loud, but Chi Chi knew that if she yelled loud enough for Goku, his sensitive Saiyan ears should pick up her voice.

"Goku!! GOOKUU!!!" she said loudly. The chickens at the adjoining stall stopped their clucking and turned to looks at her. "SON GOKU!!!" She was becoming a bit more annoyed at his disappearance and it told in her voice. The people at the surrounding stalls stopped and stared at her. She continued to scream his name loudly. 

Finally, a man dressed in a yellow silk shirt and green pants of the same material, his hands covered with white gloves, stepped away from his stall and approached her. He walked directly in front of her and bent down to talk to her. By this time her face was all red and puffy, due to the shouting and her own frustration. " What's wrong little miss?" the man asked in a curious tone. "You lost your mama and papa?" 

Chi Chi glared at the man, already a little frustrated. And here was this annoying man treating her like a little girl " No idiot, of course not. I am looking for Goku. He keeps walking away from me and not telling me where he is going. And I am a big girl and I can take care of myself"

"Oh, I am sure you can little miss." He said patting her on her head, She growled at him and he stepped back involuntarily. Goku? Is he your brother?" the man asked, with a patronising look on his face.

Chi Chi was about to answer him, but then was lost for words. No one would believe that she was married and was only 12 years old. She could not call Goku her husband. That would arouse too much suspicion. "Ummm… yes... my brother. We were just shopping and I lost him in the crowd."

The man stood up tall once more. " Don't worry little lady. I'm sure we can find him. What does he look like?"

Chi Chi paused for a moment, then she began to speak slowly, "Well… let's see. Goku is …well…he' s 12… just a little taller than me. He has black hair. It's very distinctive…very spiky. Oh yeah... and he is wearing a blue gi with a white undershirt."

The Vendor looked down at her and smiled benevolently, " Well that was not too hard not was it? We will find your brother." He held her hand and led her back to his stall. " Just sit here and I'll send a message around the market and tell him to come to this stall, ok." The vendor smiled again.

Chi Chi glared at him suspiciously, but then decided to follow him. It was the only way, as it seemed that Goku was to far away or too distracted to hear her calling. She followed the large vendor over to his stall and sat on a cushion behind it. This vendor seemed to be selling antiques and rare objects. Some of them were actually quite beautiful. Something on display glinted in the sunlight and attracted her attention. She got up and walked over to it, then picked it up in her hand. It was a jade piece, intricately designed and carved. It was actually a jade dragon, coincidentally reminding her of Shenlong, the dragon who had been a major determining factor in her life. Shenlong was the reason she had met Goku in the first place, which was on his search for the dragonballs with Bulma. They had always relied on Shenlong to grant them wishes to save the world and to bring their loved ones back. She herself had been wished back from Enma Daioh's more than once. Now Shenlong was gone. They were probably never going to see him again. The though actually made her feel a bit sad. It was as if she actually missed the big, sarcastic dragon. 

"OHH, you like that do you?" Chi Chi jumped as the large smiling vendor just appeared behind her. "It's one of my favorite pieces. I got it from an old temple near TuFu Village. The villagers said that the Jade Dragon of Lima once belonged to the Priestess of Soya. The legend described her as very powerful woman. The legend also said that the Jade Dragon was her most powerful amulet. Interesting ne? I thought so. I like myths and legends, and when I go on trips to find new trinkets to sell, I usually try to learn as much as I can about each piece so I can pass it onto the new owners." The man was smiling through this entire explanation. 

Chi Chi looked up at him and gave a quick grin in reply. "It is beautiful, that's for sure." Then she replaced it in the place she had taken it from. 

" Ohh…I also came to tell you that we found your brother. He was on the other side of the market watching the boxing match. Boys will be boys you know." The smiling vendor added.

Chi Chi's face lit up. " You found Goku? That's great!" she said excitedly.

"Yeah. He's on his way here now. Now are you sure that you will be all right now?" The Vendor asked.

"Yes. I'll be fine. Thank you and goodbye." And with that Chi Chi ran out from the stall and immediately ran into Goku who was happily running towards the smiling vendor's stall. 

"Chi!! I was watching that boxing match. The guys who were fighting, their technique was so sloppy that Mr Satan could beat them with his hands tied behind his back. They had no defence at all and were timing their moves all wrong." Goku blathered on like this for a full minute before he paused, realised that Chi Chi was glaring angrily at him. 

"Umm. What's Wrong Chi? Did I do something?" Asked Goku a bit warily. Chi Chi growled fiercely at Goku and after showing him an unforgiving scowl, she turned on her heels and stalked away from him. **Let him be worried for a while. Her deserves it.** she thought maliciously. **It will teach him a lesson.**

"Chi!!" yelled Goku nervously, "Are you still going to cook?" By this time they were attracting a lot of attention and the nearby vendors and shoppers had stopped what they were doing and were staring at the diminutive Chi Chi, who was walking away from the screaming boy, smirking evilly. Goku gave up shouting and decided to run after her and grab her hand to make her stop walking. "Chi, I am sorry, really I am. You know me. I get distracted easily. Don't be mad, please."

Chi Chi looked into his eyes with a look of false anger. " You left me there all alone, Goku-san. As usual, you will never change." She paused for a minute and then smiling, she added slyly, "That's why I have to change to suit. I can't always be depending on you to protect me."

"What is that supposed to mean Chi?" Goku asked with a perturbed look on his face.

"Oh nothing." Chi Chi said secretively. "You'll see." And with that she began to scamper out of the crowded market and back into the forest where they had landed with the Nimbus.

**********

Chi Chi could hear him as he practiced his katas outside. They had return from the market and she had cooked and fed her husband after having to shoo him away from the kitchen for nearly an hour. Now he was happy and full and he had left her to her own devices. She was sitting on her rocking chair, needle and dress in hand and ready to sew. She touched the frilly lace material gently. It seemed unlike her. She was used to her practical cotton leggings and an overdress. Even as a child she had never worn lace. The only day she had ever worn lace was on her wedding day, and that was so long ago. It seemed wrong for her to wear it. Firstly, it was not even her dress. It was borrowed and old. Her hand relaxed and the fabric dropped from her hands. She could not bear to mend it and wear it again. 

She had done all this so she could make herself happy, and yet so far all she had done was to continue down the same path of mother and homemaker. Pretty soon some thing else would happen to draw Goku away from her again. She thought of Gohan and his family. They led a relatively normal and happy life, but some thing always called them to battle when the earth was in trouble. Even Videl who was human, was always was ready to protect her family. She had always fought the abnormal theme that seemed to creep into her life and influence it. When she had lived on Mount Frypan, she constantly fought monsters and evil, greedy people who were trying to steal their treasure. When she had asked her father why they just never gave up and move away from the burning castle, he had told her that it was their duty to protect it, not only because it was their home, but because it was their purpose. She had never understood him then, and that was why She always fought when Goku and her sons had to fight. She never understood the word 'purpose'. She had never truly discovered her own purpose. She had just always done her duty.

She banged her fists against her legs in frustration and let out a mournful moan. She rose from the chair quickly and stalked out of the room still gripping the lace cloth firmly in her hand. She had suffered enough. She was going to do some thing about this depressing feeling she was getting. And she knew just where to go to get an idea.

********

AN: I have already started on the next chapter. I know that the story is going slowly and hopefully, this will only help in building up enough background to make it interesting later on. Once again I thank Maria Cline for helping me out with this and making it possible for me to sequel her work.

^o^ Natz

******


	3. What are best friends for?

**…** denotes thoughts.

This is a shorter chapter than usual. Will make up for it in the next chapter.

**Youthful Perceptions 3**

**What are Best Friends for?**

The sun over Western Capital city was shining brightly, the clouds wispy and high. She could feel the power of the engine under her as she glided through the air. **What power! ** She thought with glee. **It's a shame that everyone can't fly. I wish I could. It is such an amazing feeling. ** She caught sight of the large dome and the tall skyscraper that had been attached to it in the last 15 years. It had grown so large so fast that some times even she had a hard time accepting it. Her Capsule Corp Air bike landed on the front lawn of the yellow dome and she looked up at it in awe. ** Some times I can't believe that this is all mine.** She thought as she removed her white helmet from her head and let her shoulder length aqua blue hair fall into place around her neck. Pushing the little capsulation button on the side of her bike, she watched as the bike collapsed in a puff of smoke and left a tiny little round cartridge on the ground. She loved to fly. 

         As Bulma Briefs walked back towards Capsule Corp 1 dome, a sad fleeting thought crossed her mind. **Too bad I am getting too old to really enjoy it often.** She had only managed to sneak out from her house because Trunks was busy with a conference call, Bra was out dealing with some of the buyers. Vegeta had become oddly protective of late since the disappearance of the dragon balls and had started to watch her like a hawk. He had recently come to the realisation that he was going to outlive her by far and had forbidden her from doing things that put her in danger. " I forbid you from doing from going off by yourself. It just makes me waste my time by protecting your weak human body when you get yourself into trouble. I don't have the time to bother with you." He had said. With that obviously protective statement she realised that her relationship with Vegeta was some how beginning to make sense. But that did not mean that she had to submit to his little whims. She had taken to sneaking out whenever she could, taking the air bike on trips, just like she used to when she was younger. She had made many friends all over the world in the last 60 years and since she had retired from daily corporate work she had even more of a reason to go explore and visit people around the earth.

         She approached one of the lesser-known entrances to her home as she pulled her hair up into a ponytail. It was an old trap door that led through a tunnel into her lab. Not even Vegeta knew about the tunnel and he would often think that she was in her lab working when she had snuck off to go explore. She saw a small figure standing right next to the spot where the door was hidden. It was wearing a pair of jeans and cut off tee shirt. " Pan ? Is that you honey?" stuttered Bulma nervously.** How did Pan know about my trap door?**

         "No Bulma. It's me…" a soft but surprisingly mature voice came from the small girl's body, "Chi Chi"

         "Chi Chi?????" What in hell happened to you? You are a kid like Goku!" Bulma shrieked. She looked up and down the now small body of her friend. She lifted her face, and there she was, almost a Pan look-alike in the jeans, but with a difference. She seemed more mature than Pan, even though Pan was older than this child appeared to be. The eyes also seemed darker, if that was even possible, filled with a terrifying fierceness that all people who had met her were afraid of. **Yes** She concluded in her mind. This was Chi Chi.

" I need your help Bulma. I am confused and I need someone to listen," whispered the voice again. This time Bulma recognised the pain that filled the voice. Something was up and her curiosity was piqued. "Let's go into my lab and we can talk there." She pushed the lever that was hidden in the grass and the trap door was raised to reveal the tunnel under it. " I was worried for a while. I thought that some one had figured out my trap door ploy. I only told you about it just in case some thing happened and we needed to get into my lab without going through Capsule Corp. 

         They clambered into the hole. The tunnel was not smooth at all. Rather it had many jagged edges of rocks that protruded through the earth and some holes in the ground that they needed to avoid. Bulma grabbed the already lit torch that was at the entrance to help show their way along the dangerous tunnel. " I would have thought that a scientist like you would have come up with another light source than a wood torch," noted Chi Chi with a giggle.

         " Well, you would think that but that shows that you are not really observant. I invented this torch to give light and heat but the trick is that the flame is constantly lit and lasts for years. The wood burns very slowly but does not produce any smoke when lit. It's my new, improved old-fashioned wood torch," explained Bulma with a know it all smirk plastered on her face," But of course it would take a genius like myself to realise that."

         Chi Chi grinned happily at the egotistical remark Bulma had made. " It takes a big headed person to say words such as those. And you have the biggest head of nyone I know; that is except Vegeta. No wonder you love him. Is it the large cranium that attracted you to him?" she jabbed good-naturedly.

         Bulma paused and cringed, her head bent low, and then a low guttural moan came from her body. Chi Chi paused. She wondered if she had gone to far with the insult, but was relieved when Bulma threw her head backwards and began to laugh loudly. Her laugh began to echo through the tunnel. After a second Chi Chi joined in with her own giggles and the tunnel wall resounded with the waves of laughter.

         Bulma started to speak again, her words broken up as she gasped to regain her breath. " He…does have… a big… head… doesn't he? In all senses… of the word," She finally regained the control of her body, "But he's my big headed man. I still love him." She said dreamily and started to walk again. Chi Chi smiled knowingly and followed her lead.

         They made it out of the tunnel and into the lab. Bulma turned around and closed the door to the tunnel. At first glance it resembled one of her inventions, rounded and sleek with few controls on the outside and a neat CC logo on the outside, but Chi Chi knew that it was the disguise for the entrance to the tunnel. She had hidden it from all her family and lab assistants and Chi Chi herself was the only one who knew. It was a relic from the old days, when Bulma would be out for months at a time searching for dragonballs. She would sometimes sneak out without her parents ever knowing it. When the time came that she and Chi Chi began to spend more time with each other, after Goten and Trunks were born and used to play together, she would bring Chi Chi down to the lab and work while talking to her. That was when they really became friends. Some would say even best friends.

Bulma walked over to the couch in the corner of the lab and plomped herself down onto the padded blue cushions. All the excitement of her little flight and then finding Chi Chi in her new form upon her landing had taken its toll. She was tired. "Chi Chi, would you be a dear and go over to the fridge and get me a bottle of water. I am really dehydrated."

"Sure Bulma." With that Chi Chi walked quickly over to the old mini fridge Bulma kept in the corner. She pulled open the door and leaned in. It was packed with little beakers filled with coloured liquids. A few nondescript packages wrapped in plastic emblazoned with the Capsule Corp logo were lounging around on the bottom shelf with a giant size Kit-Kat bar lying on top of them. On the middle shelf were a few bottles of water. She pulled one out, turned around and pushed the door shut with her butt. 

         Bulma watched her walk back over to the couch and took the water, unscrewing the top and taking a few healthy gulps. "Want some?" she offered.

"No thanks. I am fine. I just want to talk." Chi Chi stared passively as Bulma swigged the water, leaning on the arm of the couch right next to Bulma, her small form covered in her granddaughter's clothes, ones that she had never thought she would wear. " I know the way I look must come as a shock to you. I did not tell anyone about this and we have not had any chance since to spread the word around. I mean, I haven't really talked to anyone much recently… been pretty isolated up in the mountains I guess." As she spoke her last words, her voice began to drift off and a mist of silence fell between them.

Bulma cocked her eyebrows. She had never seen Chi Chi this way before. She was not usually this vacuous. "It's ok Chi Chi, I guess I understand you not telling me sooner. But.…what happened to your body. You still haven't explained this whole thing yet. How did it happen? Did Shenlong come back? Is it some sort of spell or …a … a sickness? It isn't a disease is it? Are you sick or something?" Bulma's scientist's curiosity exploded in full force.

Chi Chi held her hand up to stop the flood of questions. " No. I'm perfectly healthy, Gohan called the doctor right after it happened." She broke into a sardonic grin. "I actually did this to myself." 

         Bulma sat there, dumbstruck; "To yourself… you did … WHAT??", was all that could come from her mouth.

" Let me explain this. Well, what I said is true. I did this to myself. It's not a very complicated story. I used a magic knife that restores youth. It was a part of my father's treasure trove." She paused again for a moment then continued in a rush. "It's just that I missed Goku so much. I didn't know what to do. I thought that it would bring us closer together. I thought it would solve the age difference problem." She stopped and caught herself. She was getting too worked up. She continued, teeth gritted, " All I had to do was to cut myself with the damned knife. And I did it. I cut myself." She pushed her palm towards Bulma and showed her the scar. The cut had healed rather quickly, but it was still there, her scar, scratched from thumb to pinky, red and angry. " I did it three days ago. I have been awake and in this body for two days. And still nothing has changed. Goku still leaves me at home to go to school and go train. I still mope about the house, cleaning and cooking. It's all like some disturbing fairy tale, where nothing ever changes really." As she spoke her face leaned forward and Bulma could not see her eyes anymore.

"That's why I came to see you. I was sitting there, doing my job, my wifely duties… doing what I have been doing for the last 40 years, sitting and working, hoping and wishing. I wanted to know if you could give me any insight on what's going on with me. You were the only one I could think of."

         Bulma rose from the couch and walked over to the small mirror on the east wall of the lab. She stared into it. She had been staring at that image of herself all her life. In her youth she would have professed how beautiful she was and how desirable she was. Her fingers brushed over her hair. The way her healthy thick hair had glistened had diminished over the years. Her hair was now silver streaked. She pulled it out of the high ponytail it had been held in for the last few minutes. It fell around her shoulder in layers. After a few seconds she pulled it back up into the ponytail and turned around to face Chi Chi once more. She was still sitting on the couch, face lowered. 

         "I guess we are a lot alike, hey Chi Chi?" Bulma stated quietly, turning away from her again. " I know how you feel too. I don't know if it was the getting old thing that was getting to us or our topsy-turvy lives or our fear of loosing it all. I don't know. All I know is that I feel sometimes like I am not needed. Like I am expendable. What do I really do that is significant now? Trunks and Bra are taking over Capsule and Vegeta still trains like he is going to fight another monster, leaving no time for me. Not that he ever gave any time or thought to me before. I found that all I could do was come down here every day and work on my inventions, the only thing I seem to be good at anymore. It's like I am not satisfied to be wealthy, have a family and be smart. Some people would tell me to be happy, stop being selfish and age gracefully. But I don't feel like it. I am not that old. I can't just lay down and wait for death to come for me… again." She added absentmindedly, remembering her time in Enma Diaou's place.

The couch creaked as the body that was sitting on it got up and moved behind Bulma, gripping the back of her shirt. When Bulma turned, she saw that Chi Chi's eyes were red and her cheeks were moist. She thought of how others had seen Chi Chi before. She was a tough mother and was sometimes impossible to deal. She was stubborn, wilful and emotional. She was a woman. But now, she had this vulnerable look in her eyes, a thing that could only come from youth. She bent to hug Chi Chi, and as she did this, she thought of when Trunks and Bra had been that size and she would hug them and make their fears go away. The two women hugged tightly, sharing in their fears, one small and fierce, the other older and passionate.

*******

Two hours had passed since Chi Chi and Bulma had entered Bulma's private lab. They had sat in the florescent-lighted underground lab and talked and cried, then talked some more. None of their problems had been solved but they were now laughing as Chi Chi was explaining her predicament with respect to clothes.

         "When I went over to Gohan's and asked Pan for clothes, you should have seen her. It was hilarious. She gave me a pair of her jeans and this top." She pointed at the cropped top that had the phrase "Warrior Girl" emblazoned across her chest. It was also a tighter fit across her chest than it was on Pan. It appeared that she was better endowed at 12 than her granddaughter was at 15. When grandmother and granddaughter had looked at each other, it was if they were seeing double. Chi Chi had appeared a bit shorter than Pan, but Pan's lean warrior build was in stark contrast to Chi Chi's rounded shape. 

         "I just could not take Videl's frilly clothes any longer." Chi Chi quipped with a scowl on her face, her black orb-like eyes shimmering. Bulma giggled at the thought of little Chi Chi in frilly lace dresses. She had seen some of the monstrosities that Videl had been forced to wear when she was young and had no choice over her wardrobe. "To tell the truth, I was actually kinda glad when the dress ripped." She grinned.

"Well…" Bulma said, excitement in her voice, " I guess we have to figure out what kind of clothes you should wear." She paused, pondering the dilemma. " You can raid our old closets for now, see what fits." 

         Chi Chi grimaced as she pictured herself in Bulma's short and tight dresses or Bra's notorious red leather collection. She remembered how Bra had gone through a stage where all she wore was reminiscent of a punk/ pseudo gothic teenager. "Umm… that may not actually be the answer to my problem. I need to find clothes that not only fit me, but also suit me. I really can't go back to wearing my old style dresses, they are much too old fashioned and would look odd on me now that I look so young." She paused, not knowing how to phrase her next point. She began tentatively "And I really want to get my own clothes, not hand me downs from others. It is tolling on me right now to be wearing Pan's clothes. I need to get my own."

         "That's ok, Chi Chi we will think of something. But for now I am really hungry. We should really get out of here, don't you think. It is nearly dinner time," She said, and then added with a grin, " Vegeta is probably getting ready to come in to yell for his food." 

          Chi Chi's eyes widened. "Oops" She said embarrassedly. "I forgot that I have to make dinner for Goku and Goten. I should get going, shouldn't I?" 

         "Why don't you stay here for dinner? It would take too long for you to fly back home now to cook dinner, by the time you reached there it would be late night. Come on, you can call Goku and Goten and tell him to eat at Gohan's. And plus, I want to see Vegeta and the kids' reactions to you. It would be worth it." Bulma grinned deviously. Chi Chi paused for a moment, a worried look on her face. Then, she shook her head and smiled. She knew that Bulma was right. Bulma grinned back at her. They left the lab smiling, happy with the companionship they had rediscovered in each other. 

********


	4. You need to cry?

AN: I began writing this fic as I was intrigued by the questions that one might have had at the end of "Just One Cut". The time line of the story may be a bit confusing for some people. Let's just say that in the last 3 chapters, none the events in chapter 1 have happened yet. The 1st chapter is set a week after Chi Chi changed. The flashbacks within that chapter have actually not occurred yet. I have gone back in time in a sense, charting the days immediately after Chi Chi turned into a little girl. I hope that everyone is enjoying reading this as much as I am relishing writing it.

Oh… and I am planning to do art for this fic. When I have it up on my site I will let you know.

^o^ Natz

_Italics_ denotes flashback

**…** denotes thoughts

**Youthful Perceptions **_4_

You need to cry?

The phone rang in the Son house, but no one was there to answer it. It rang and rang and rang until it seemed like it had it's own insistent cry, asking anyone to pick up. Miles away from the house, deep in forest, there was a great river, flowing fast and hard towards its end. At first, one bubble appeared on top of the water, but it was soon followed by a multitude of others. The bubbling water soon erupted and a small, naked figure burst forth from the water, a large fish twisting and struggling in his arms. A shout of glee came from his mouth as he pulled his catch out of the water. He laid it out on the bank and waited for it to stop its struggles. He smiled happily, the thought of roasted carp overtaking his mind. 

Suddenly, the smile dropped from his face. The thought of food reminded him of dinner… dinner at home with Chi Chi. He had completely forgotten about her waiting at home. He had wandered off after she had given him his breakfast and had started exploring the forest. Since he had come back to this world, he had been going to school full time five out of the seven days of the week and half days on Saturdays. Whatever time he had left had been dedicated to training, trying to se if he could get anywhere near his super saiyan level. But ever since Chi Chi had changed he had thought about putting off going to school, as he was actually worried about her. But here he was, already miles away from her. 

           He grabbed the large fish and hurriedly flew off in the direction of home. As he got near to the house, he realised that he could not feel Chi Chi's presence in the house. He landed on the garden path and ran into the house, temporarily forgetting his catch on the doorstep. He ran from room to room to find that there was no Chi Chi to be found. He began to get very worried. Previously he might not have thought anything may have happened to her, but ever since she had cut herself, he found himself unable to predict his wife's actions. 

           He stopped in the kitchen and noted that it was as he had last seen it when he had left that morning after breakfast. It was clean, all the dishes had been put away and now the tones of sunset and dusk were reflecting through the western window. Amber light was refracting on the surface of the oak panelling of the cupboards. He heard the front door open and he turned to see Gohan, towering over him in the doorway. He stood there, in a blue pants and white shirt with the top buttons undone. His coat was slung over his shoulder, along with the tie, which had probably been the first thing to go. He was not wearing the glasses that usually adorned his face for show.

           Gohan raised his eyebrows at the distressed look on his father's usually jovial face. " She is fine." he started and watched as relief replaced the look of distress. " She flew our air bike over to Capsule Corp in West Capital. She went to see Bulma," he continued tiredly. He had just come in from a long day of teaching at the University. "You can come over and eat with us. Goten is out on a date and Pan went to the city to find her grandfather, so it will just be the three of us." Simply, with those few, cold words to his father, he turned and left the house, walking down the path that linked the houses together.

           Goku sighed deeply and followed his silent, eldest son. Things were actually quite strained between them now. The problem had started long before then, but it had come to a head the moment they had found Chi Chi in her new body, her left palm bleeding, the knife she had used lying next to her, covered in her blood. It had been hard for everyone there to see her like that, but Gohan had taken it badly. He was a momma's boy at heart and all he could do was to find fault in his father, who he felt was the whole motive behind her actions. He had allowed himself to get visibly angry and had nearly unleashed the terror of his usually passive emotion on his father, who he had never once argued with in his life before.

*****

**_The day Chi Chi cut herself_**

_Gohan was pacing up and down the hallway outside his parents' room, striding past Videl who was watching at him with a worried look on her face. He reached the window at the end of the hall, where Pan was sitting on the floor cross-legged and staring at the pattern in the carpet as if it was the most interesting thing on the earth at the moment. He turned around and strode back past Videl to the other end of the hall where the passage met it's end at the top of the stairs and his little brother Goten's inert body was located laying across the top step. He let out the breath he had been holding and closed his eyes tightly. His hand began to slowly clench into a fist._

_            **Why had she done it? Didn't she realised the danger she was putting herself in** he thought angrily. The door of the bedroom creaked open. The small figure of his father emerged from the room, beaming. _

_"She went back to sleep," he said nonchalantly. It doesn't seem like anything is wrong with her, except for the obvious. She's practically chased me around the room just after she woke up. It probably tired her right out." He grinned again, happy that there was nothing to be worried about._

_            Gohan's eyes narrowed at his father, his anger boiling over in him like lava. There his father was, like always, happy, smiling and calm. He had grown used to it over the years. He had grown to love that gentle nature his father always seemed to have. It counteracted well with his mother's sternness. But then, years had passed. She had grown less angry and impetuous. She had become slower, sadder and lonelier, but his father continued in his happy docile way, literally growing younger while she had grown older. He knew that he should have seen the signs of despair in his mother, but he had been too busy with his own life, his own wife and daughter and his work. She had made sure that they had not moved to far away from her, but in truth it was his suggestion to set up house next door to his childhood home. In that way he could take care of her, watch over her whenever his dad went on his bouts of training, which he seemed to do ever so often and without much warning. When he had gone off to train Ubuu for nearly 10 years, never even coming home to say hi, Gohan had watched over his mom like a hawk. But when he had returned from the dragon in his man-child state Gohan had loosened up on watching her as carefully as he had before._

_            He looked over at Pan, his little girl; her gaze still on the carpet, her face was now tightly drawn as if she had experienced a terrible revelation. In truth she had. Another one of her grandparents had become younger than she was again. She had gone through a lot in the last 2 years, with finding, then losing, and finally regaining Goku so suddenly. She had become stronger, both in body and mentally. She had experienced the joy of battle, the rush of adventure and the throbbing pain of complete an utter loss in the last 2 years. She was almost 16 and she had been through so much. Just like he had when he was her age. He looked away from his baby girl and his gaze fell on the shining blue pools of his wife's eyes. She had been watching him, he knew. She was worried about him, about how he was taking it. He knew it. She was always concerned about him. She knew what he was capable of; she also knew the fears he held in his heart. She was the only one who knew, who understood the fear he had of becoming that one thing he could not bear to be: his father._

_            He could not be the saviour of the world. His dad had taken that upon himself and look where it had got all of them? A strange cycle of life and death, loss and victory had marked their lives. They used to pretend to be super heroes. Years ago they had stood side by side, pledging to uphold justice, but then they had come to realise that the ones who saved the world ended up more empty than those who didn't. Life was about being there for your family, making sure they knew that you loved them. You did not have to be a superhero to know what it was like to be loved by your family. That was what he wanted for himself. That was why he had stopped trying to save the world. Look where saving the world had got his father, in a swift, relentless current of dying and being reborn, stuck in the body of a now 13 year old. It had driven his mother to her edge. And here he was pacing outside of his mother's sickroom because of a man who loved to save the world._

_He could not help himself. He had to speak. Videl saw his mouth opening and her eyebrows rose suddenly, wishing perhaps to stop him before he did or said some thing that he would later regret._

_            "Really dad… She is fine? Nothing is wrong with her? Don't you think that some thing is wrong when your wife gets up one day and decides to do some thing like this to herself" he said tersely, the words hissed in the general direction of his now short father._

_ Goku's eyes turned upwards, his expression confused. " Well, I admit it did bother me when I first found her. But she and I talked when she woke up. I guess it's ok with me once she wanted to do it." He paused, and then continued confidently," Anyway, the doctor said she was fine, right?" He looked around. No one spoke. He shook his head dismissively and walked over to Gohan, putting his hand on his son's arm and patting it reassuringly. To his great surprise, Gohan pulled his arm away from him and took a step backwards. He looked at him curiously. "Gohan?" he said apprehensively._

_            At the sound of his name Gohan became rigid. "What?" He spat out. "What do have to say now?" he added and turned away from his dad and towards the stairs, where Goten lay, as still as he had been the last time Gohan had looked at him. He had not even stirred. Gohan wondered, in the back of his mind, if the boy had actually fallen asleep. He turned back around to his dad and glared at him for a second then took off down the stairs, levitating over Goten's body and into the kitchen. There he came to a stop. _

_It was mid after-noon and the bright sunlight was streaming through the western windows. The kitchen was spotless. He often wondered how his mother had managed to keep the house so neat with 3 males, all with Saiyan blood, living there as well. Then he remembered: She had trained him to always be neat, to clean up behind himself. She had tried the same with Goten and it had worked to a degree. He had acquiesced to making sure that he kept clear of all the places that his mother resided in. She had stopped going into his bedroom years ago, allowing him the freedom of being a slob in the place he called his own. But his dad was the real work. The times that he was there, she had a full time job of cleaning, cooking and washing. He knew that his dad was truly a simple man, he had grown up in the woods, and he had hunted there and trained there for many years. He knew had known nothing about homemaking when they had gotten married, his world travels ill preparing him for the challenge of settling down and making a home._

_            Gohan did not turn around as he felt his father enter the kitchen, directly behind him. He just moved over to the sink and jerked the tap on, stuck his hands under the cold running water, and splashed his face with the water. He took up the towel hanging on to the side of the rack and dried his hands. He heard a scraping noise behind him as Goku pulled out a chair from the table and sat, silently._

_            **At least he realises that he shouldn't talk right now** Gohan though fleetingly, aware of his father's tactics when it came to dealing with him. Regardless of what people thought about his father's intelligence, or lack of it, he knew that his father was aware of a lot more than people gave him credit for. This only contributed to his frustration in dealing with his father's nonchalance about his mother._

_            He sighed, trying to quell the feelings that were stirring deep within him. He did not want to say anything to him, but he realised that he had already made his father curious as to why he was so angry with him. He stated flatly, "What do you want dad?" while continuing to methodically wipe his hands in the towel._

_            He could feel his father take in a breath and pause. "I want to know what's wrong." He said after the pause._

_            Gohan let out a contemptuous grunt. "You know what's wrong. Don't play games with me dad." He looked up at his father. " You aren't that dim minded are you? Can't you figure it out?" _

_            Goku's eyes widened in disbelief. He could not believe that Gohan was being so rude to him. Actually scratch that. He always had known that Gohan had it in him to be ruthless. Chi Chi was the one who always kept him so polite and she was not there at the moment. "Well, I guess it has some thing to do with your mom… and me too I guess." Goku looked dead straight into his son's eyes._

_            **No shit Sherlock** Gohan thought, rolling his eyes. This really made no sense. It was not logical. He had to end it now. " I give up. You will never get it dad," he said, his teeth clenched, getting ready to walk out of the room._

_"You need to cry?" came the soft reply from right next to him. Without thinking, he slapped away his father's hand as it came to rest on the small of his back. When he looked back his father was standing staring at his hand and then back at him. At the sight, he just felt the rage build back up inside himself again. He closed his eyes and tried to calm himself with deep breaths._

_            "Don't touch me! You really don't want to see what would happen." he spat. He could feel the anger stirring deep in him, burning like bile in his throat. He had to push it down. Anger like this was not good. It would push him over into the threshold of violence. He had given violence up. He was now a scholar. All scholars needed was logic and reasoning. He was a father now. He had a duty to his family. His father would just have to figure it out by himself. And with that he walked out of the kitchen and through the front door._

*********

           Goku trod through the door of Gohan's house, dragging the fish behind him, thinking of that moment when Gohan had told him not to touch him. Goku really did not understand why he had gone to such extremes. Chi Chi was fine. She was back to her normal self, cooking and cleaning, being the good little wife to him. She had not even once nagged him. He thought back to the time he had found himself in his young body. He had been at the lookout, after a great fight with Ubuu in the room of space and time. When he had seen the little blue elf, he had hardly recognised him. Pilaf had grown old and even more crotchety than he had been before. When the dragon had disappeared he had just felt like a veil had lifted over his skin. He had lost some thing, but he had still gained much. He supposed that was what it had felt like for Chi Chi, the feeling of loss, but still knowing that there was something to be gained, some thing that had been given back. It was the chance, the opportunities to do what had seemed impossible before.

           He heard his name being called, softly. He looked up. Gohan had disappeared up the stairs. Videl stood in the doorway of the kitchen, smiling softly at him. She was wearing a purple T-shirt, tied at one end, with a short black skirt and leggings. He walked over to her and presented her with the fish, which she took with a good-natured chuckle. 

           "You just caught this right?" She asked with a grin. 

           He nodded. She turned and walked back into the kitchen, opening the door to the walk in freezer and putting the fish up on a basin on a shelf. As she reached up, her hair fell back and she reminded him of Chi Chi, whenever she was cleaning something up high.

" I will de-bone it later. That could be used to make soup for tomorrow morning. " She said snapping him out of his reverie. We should go eat now." She walked past him and walked toward the stairs. "Gohan, we are ready to eat!"

           She paused waiting for a reply. Seconds later, the sound of footsteps could be heard coming down the stairs. Gohan appeared next to his wife, smiled tiredly in her direction and walked past his father, on his way to the table in the kitchen, without one look in Goku's direction.

           Videl turned back to Goku who was staring at his son's back as it disappeared into the kitchen. Goku sighed, Videl smiled sadly. It was going to be a long dinner.

*******


	5. Executive Quandry

AN: Chapter 5 up, review everyone.  Updates will be coming a bit faster as I am on vacation.

Once more **…** denotes thoughts.

Last chapter:  Goku returns home to find Chi Chi gone and meets up with a Gohan who is not talking to him. We saw how the strain between father and son came about.

^o^ Natz

Youthful Perceptions 

5

 Executive Quandry

          Trunks rubbed his eyes tiredly as he walked through the main doors of Capsule Corp 1 dome. He had spent the last 6 hours in an intensive videoconference with the production managers of various Capsule Corp offices scattered across the world. They had discussed the slight drop in Capsule's worldwide production figures for the last year and had tried to come up with ways to improve the production schedule. By having to deal with 13 different managers, each based in different places with varying political and social cultures, he had been faced with the challenge of overcoming each specific problem that plagued particular factories before they could come up with a standardised structure of operation for each of the factories to follow. Needless to say it had been a very exhausting 6 hours.  He dropped his briefcase down on the first chair he came to; trying to get rid of the clinging feeling of work that he was sure was visibly stuck to him. He walked through the main hall and headed towards the stairs that led up to his apartment. Out of the corner of his eye, as he passed by the kitchen door and saw his mother standing by the stove, stirring a rather large pot. To his surprise, an extremely delicious smell came from the pot. Trunk's eyebrows rose in confusion. **Mom cooking and it's actually edible?** he thought, perplexed by the uniqueness of the situation.

Bulma continued stirring the pot, turning her head towards the other side of the room and saying, " How long do I have to keep stirring this thing again?" She was tapping her foot impatiently.

 It was then that Trunks noticed that there was another person in the room, standing with practically their whole body stuck into the refrigerator. He could see that it was a girl, despite the fact that only her bottom half could be seen. She was short and tanned, wearing jeans folded up her calves, Capri style. **It's Panny!!** he surmised with a smile. It had been a while since he'd last seen the spoiled little girl, and he'd missed her immensely. "Pan!" He cried joyously, forgetting his tiredness at the prospect of doing mischief. He flashed quickly over to the body; still half stuck into the fridge, lifted the small body up and threw it high in the air. His smile widened as the sound of panicked shrieks coming from the fast moving body brought joy to his more sadistic side. He watched as the small body crashed down into his arms, still amazed that he'd managed to surprise her like that. He had expected her to at least sense him coming, but he figured that she might have been too distracted by the contents of the refrigerator to notice much else. He grinned maniacally as his mother rushed over and smacked him on his head with a kitchen towel. 

"Why did you do that Trunks? You could have hurt her." Bulma shrieked, her eyes wide with shock. She pawed at the shivering bundle in his hands, as if to check to see she was bruised. 

**Ridiculous** thought Trunks, ** Pan's too strong to have been hurt by that and mom knows it. So, why is she going manic over the fact that I just threw her in the air?** he wondered.

"Put me down!" The voice emanating from his reluctant luggage screamed menacingly, as the package thrashed around, arms punching, legs kicking at him. It was like holding a wildcat. Trunks then decided to give in to the pestering of his mother and his conquest. He set the bundle down and beamed at it as it started to right itself. 

          As soon as he put her down she began to mumble incoherently while straightening herself, visibly seething anger at him. Bulma rushed to her side and began to ask if she was ok, offering nothing but her best scowls in her son's direction.

          He grinned and gave his best false innocent expression. It was just a joke, why were they overreacting like that?

*********

          "Is there anything else you would like to discuss Miss Briefs before we wrap up business here." asked the black suited acquisitions councillor for Momo Motors, the last buyer that was to be dealt with today.

          "No, that should be all. I'll have my brother look over these orders tonight. I should get back to you by tomorrow. What time will you be leaving for South Capital City, Mr Maya?" the young blue haired executive responded as she began to return all her papers and files that were spread all over the table to their respective places. As she gathered the files, her well-manicured, blood red nails clicked together. She tossed her head and her blue hair began to layer itself over her sleek red Gucci business suit. 

          "Oh, not till next week," he said, then added, his voice getting lower and more flirtatious, "That means I will be here all this weekend with nothing much to do. Do you think you can rectify that situation, Miss Briefs?"

           Bra paused in the middle of stuffing a thick file into a file holder marker "Model A57S: Capsule Corp". She stared at the man. He was probably around 30 years old, with his shiny, oiled, black hair cut in the short layered and neat style that most execs, with the exception of her brother, tended to have. He was kind of cute, in a "businessman" sort of way, but she was not up for anything he had to offer. " I am sorry Mr Maya. You will have to find your own source of entertainment this weekend. My mother and father have already told me that I cannot stay out too late on weekends before I turn 18."

She watched as his mouth dropped open, grappling with the idea of her actual age. "How old are you now, Miss Briefs?"

"Just about to turn 17" She said nonchalantly and returned to stuffing files in their folders. A few minutes later she was finished and was showing a slightly distressed Mr Maya out of the door and into his awaiting limousine. As she shut the door to the office, she leaned against it and sighed, pulling at the edge of her short skirt. Her mother had thought it important that Bra got real experience at working at Capsule Corp as an executive during her summer holidays.  "It will make you better able to take over that company if anything happens to me or Trunks.' She had said, pointing out that fact out to her.  She had even reminded Bra that she had been running several facets of Capsule Corp the time she was 18, helping her dad with the day-to-day challenge of running a large company.  Bra shook her head thinking of all the buyers she had been dealing with all day. She was drained mentally. She needed a break. She needed … FOOD. She smiled goofily as she thought of food, and then frowned again as she thought of her mother's food. ** Lets just hope that mom decided to let grandma or the robots cook today** Quickly she tidied up the rest of the room and put all the files into the file cabinet. "Even thought we are a highly technological business we still have to depend on paper files and file cabinets" she thought aloud, slightly amused. 

Five minutes later she was on her way up the elevator to the living area of the house. Her mother had insisted that she meet the buyers in the office on the lower lever of the Capsule Corp dome, their home. Some how she did not feel it appropriate for Bra to start working out of the skyscraper, which was the actual centre of Capsule Corp executive offices. Bulma had said that it had some thing to do with Bra having illusions of grandeur.  Bra twirled the ends of her aqua blue tresses and scowled at the idea that her mother thought that she had an ego problem. Now, it was true that her dad had an ego problem. They all knew that. Bra was not the one who went around proclaiming that she was the prince of a dead race every day. What rubbish! She was the princess. 

The elevator doors pinged and slid open with a swish. Bra stepped out with a regal air, her red leather Gucci boots clicking steadily as she strode into the foyer. As she walked towards the kitchen she could hear the telltale sounds of her pissed mother. **Oh no!** she rolled her eyes **What did they do now?**

She walked into the kitchen to see her still suited brother grinning goofily at her mother and … wait was that Pan? Her eyes widened with surprise. She had not seen Pan for about a year. She walked right into the middle of what she was sure was a big fight and grabbed at Pan's shoulder. Everyone's attention turned to her.  She looked right into her eyes, **No, this isn't Pan. But she sure does look like her.**

"Who are you and why do you look so much like Pan?" Bra asked suspiciously, still holding the shoulder of the look-alike. 

"Wait, Bra…" Her mother started, stepping towards her, but the doppelganger put up her hand, stopping Bulma in her tracks.

"Who do you think I am?" replied the girl. She looked directly into Bra's face, fierce and unrelenting.

Bra let go of the body immediately and stepped backwards, searching her for clues. This girl was obviously someone she had met before. She was far too familiar to her. She was younger than Pan, she figured at least 12 or 13. But there was some thing about her that made her seem much older than that. Something about her attitude and demeanour set off alarms in Bra's head.

"Umm..." interjected a slightly apathetic looking Trunks. "She isn't Pan?" He slapped his head and started mumbling apologies," I thought she was Pan. She looked so much like her. I had no idea. He began to back away from the trio of women, sure that he was about to become chow for his late grandfather's pet dinosaur.

Bra rolled her eyes at her confused brother and turned to the girl who looked like Pan to inspect her further. She was smaller, more round, obviously more girly than Pan was and she looked like she could at least be her younger sister.  But there was some thing else about her that was familiar, and it did not remind her of Pan. The difference was the eyes, these eye were darker than Pan's, jet black and large. They were so familiar, like she had seen them before. An idea popped into her head. She began tentatively, not wanting to make a complete fool of herself by saying some thing totally outrageous. " Are you related to Chi Chi?" 

Bulma gasped and looked at the girl. The girl broke into a wide grin. " You could say that." She began, "Let's just say that I am really close to her in many ways." She turned away from them and gently closed the fridge door that had been wide open all that time. " I came to see Bulma and got roped into staying for dinner."

Bra, determined to solve the mystery started to speak again but was interrupted by Bulma. " You will all find out who she is eventually." Her mom said, putting her hand on Bra's shoulder. "But you will have to wait until your dad gets in from wherever he is. I don't want to have to tell the whole story twice."

"What whole story mom? What the hell is going on here and why must we wait for dad?" Bra wined.

"Yeah mom!" started Trunks, who was also quite confused and curious. 

"Bra! Trunks! Come on! You can wait a little while. Your dad is coming in soon. He has not eaten all afternoon. Besides, it would do you good to try to use your brains to figure out this mystery." Bulma said with a laugh and stuck her tongue out at her bewildered children.

Bra scowled at the teasing gesture. "Honestly mom, you are how old now? Stop playing these little kids games." She said disdainfully. And with one last glowering look at the mysterious girl, she marched out indignantly, a tad pissed at not getting the information she wanted, and out of the kitchen.

********

Bulma watched her daughter, dressed in all red business attire, stride out of the room in a fit and stifled the urge to giggle. She looked back at Trunks and glared, her fake 'I'm pissed at you right now. Go away' look for a while until he slunk out of the room and up the stairs to his apartment. Then she turned back to the pot, which was boiling over.  She sighed tiredly, reminded of the fact of how much she really hated cooking herself  "You do know that Bra will be pissed with me until we tell her, right."

"Yeah, she probably will. But it is fun messing with them. They get so upset about not knowing." Chi Chi said with a smirk. "Goku never gets really riled up about anything unless it concerns food or fighting."

"Oh, by the way did you remember to call him and tell him that you will be staying here for dinner?" Bulma remembered suddenly.

Chi Chi turned back to the fridge and reopened it, making sure to look back first to see if any evil Saiyans were behind her waiting to throw her up into the air, and then sighed. "Yeah I did, but no one answered. He must have wandered off somewhere far. He had disappeared when I went to tell him that I was coming over here. He does that a lot. I just called over at Gohan's. If Goku comes home, they will tell him where I am. No problem."

Chi Chi found the jar of chile that she had been looking for when Trunks attacked her.  She walked over to the counter and crawled into the chair next to it. She first made sure it was stable, and knelt in it, cutting up the peppers and adding it to the other seasonings she had already prepared. 

"Bulma returned grudgingly to stirring the pot. " I can't wait to see the looks on their faces when we tell them" She said with a grin.

*******


	6. Now I sit me down to eat

AN: Been a while. But I actually have loads in this chappy, it's all angsty. Please review. I really want to see how people are taking the turn of events. I have a lot planned for this story.

Youthful Perceptions 6

Now I sit me down to eat

***~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

It was surprisingly warm in the room.  Goku supposed it was the residual heat cause by the stove when Videl had been cooking.  Or maybe it was the heat coming off of Gohan's ki.  He could not be sure, as Gohan still seemed quite calm and was not obviously agitated in the least.  Videl cleared her throat and he turned to look at her. There she was, looking so much like Chi Chi at that moment. It reminded him of the times that they had sat around the table in their little house; just her, Gohan and him: a happy little family. This time it was changed a little, as he was the seemingly innocent child, Gohan was in the father's place and Videl was filling in for Chi Chi.  

"Well, what are you guys waiting for, dig in." Videl's voice interjected into his reverie. It was then and only then that he realised that he had been sitting at the table for a whole 2 minutes without eating. That was not like him. At once he began his usual 'quick reflex' method of eating, which consisted of quickly blurring chopsticks interjected by a bit of slurping. Within a few seconds, his bowl of Miso soup was empty and his plate was also and he was calling for seconds. 

 Videl immediately refilled the bowl and piled more noodles and turkey onto the plate and once again and he was off. All this time his thoughts were not on his son's attitude anymore, but concentrating on the food. In the midst of the blurring, he thought he saw Gohan cutting up his meat and chewing on it. "Chewing?" Goku thought in the midst of stuffing a turkey leg onto his mouth. **That's new**.

Gohan was now chewing the meat, slowly and carefully, thinking about everything and everyone but his seeming garbage can of a father. "I wonder how Pan's doing at her Grandpa's." he thought, pretending to be unaware of the fact that his father was now stuffing half a bird into his mouth. "Goten must be having a good time on his date" he wondered silently, subtly ignoring his father's loud slurps as he gargled down the soup.  As the next ten minutes passed, the table was unnervingly quiet, notwithstanding the sounds of disposal coming from Goku. And then, finally there was complete silence. Once could practically hear the evening shadows as they crept across the floor, inching it's way menacingly towards the little family.  After two more minutes of enduring the stifling atmosphere, Goku pushed his chair away from the table and leapt down. 

"Good night, Videl, and thank you for the good food" he nodded towards her and patted his stomach. She smiled back in response. "Good night Gohan," he then ventured, a bit unsure, voice wavering. Gohan paused mid-chew and looked directly into his eyes. What Goku saw there hurt him. There was a black rage, setting in heavily in his son's eyes. He did not even wait to see if there would be a reply. He just walked towards the door and left quietly, without another word.

Gohan's attention returned to his chewing. He speared a piece of meat with his chopstick and shoved it into his mouth, beginning to chew methodically. **1…2…3…4…** 

Videl sat there for a minute, staring at the door, then took a deep breath. "You should tell him why you are mad with him, you know. He's hurting. He's never had to deal with responsibility of this kind before."

**8…9…10...11**

She turned to look at him, her brows knitted in frustration. "We can't live like this." She paused, looked away and then looked back at him. She raised her eyebrows slightly. "Does your mother even know how you are treating him? It's been nearly three days Gohan. Three days since she cut herself and two since you last talked to your father." The volume of her voice began to go up. "Does she even know?" 

**19…20** Gohan swallowed. 

 Videl reached over and pulled his face in her direction, forcing him to make eye contact with her. She stared long and hard at him. His eyes were piercingly dark and guarded. She peered into them, trying to make something visible out of the darkness that seemed to envelop them. For a second she thought that she had seen the shield drop and she held her breath, thinking that maybe he had decided to talk with her. But then, as quickly as it had appeared, it was gone and the evidence of its existence was also gone.

 He turned back to the food, reached over to his plate and stabbed another piece of meat with his chopstick. He was putting it into his mouth, but some thing stopped him. It was her hand, holding the fork away from his mouth, the meat dangling near the edge of his nose.

He sighed and resigned himself to talking. "You know that I can't help him. It's no use unless he figures it out by himself.  No matter how mad I am with him about this. I can't be the one to make him realise the truth" 

"And what is the truth Gohan. What is it?" Videl asked pleadingly.

"That he doesn't love my Mom." And with that Gohan stuffed the meat in his mouth and began to methodically count his chews again. **1…2…3…4…**

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

He could see that the table was set for five as he stood in the hallway. His eyes narrowed suspiciously, wondering what the woman had planned, as they never ate in the dining room unless they had company. He sniffed the air. His eyes widened. It actually smelt good. Actually, it was better than good. Now he knew for certain that some thing was up. What should he do? Bide his time till the devious woman sprung whatever trap she had planned, or should he go confront her now? He weighed the two options. One alternative gave way to his being unprepared, especially if this surprise had anything to do with him. The other factored in the woman's shrill screaming voice directed at him if he spoiled her surprise. He thought carefully, arms crossed, scowl in place. Then he smirked. The woman could never surprise him. He could deal with whatever she threw at him. After all, he was Vegeta and no human woman could outsmart him.

            From the shadows of the hallway he watched as the food was brought out and put on the table by the bots. He could sense a foreign but low ki level nearby. He supposed it was the reason behind the fifth place setting. His eyes opened wide with shock. It had better not be that weak, idiot of an ex boyfriend of Bulma's.  He still loathed his presence. The woman would not be dumb enough to think that he'd let him into his house and have dinner with him? He checked the ki again. No. It wasn't him. This signature was very different.  

            He felt Bra and Trunks approach the room.  A minute later they appeared from around the corner. They were both wearing their home gear. Bra was in her jeans and red halter-top and Trunks in shorts and a T-shirt. They were talking to each other in low suspicious tones, but he still picked up what they were saying. 

            "Who do you think she really is, Trunks?" Bra asked, scowl firmly implanted on her face as she sat down at the grand dining room table. " I can't believe mom won't tell us.

            Trunks was blushing like a beetroot. "I dunno. But she looks so much like Pan. It's unnerving". His glanced nervously toward the shadow where Vegeta was standing, blinked and turned back around, going silent immediately. He sat next to Bra

            Bra just kept talking, getting redder and redder every moment she babbled about how "childish this all was" and how  "she was an adult and should be treated like one". She finally got quiet when the kitchen door opened and her mother walked in with the visitor.  When he saw her he could not help but gasp. She appeared to be about twelve or thirteen, with shoulder length jet black hair and if possible, even darker eyes. She was wearing capped jeans and a top with English letters on it. Trunks was right. She looked every thing like Gohan's brat. But she definitely wasn't Pan. He was actually stunned. He watched as the girl approached the table and sat opposite Bra

            The woman sat down next to the strange girl at the table, crossing her legs and arms. She looked around the room. He watched as she scowled. Then it came. "Vegeta!" she screeched, "You skulking bastard. Get out here. I know you are here. You're always trying to hide in the shadows, but you forget that I can feel your huge ego practically heating up the room." 

            Trunks snickered. 

            Bra rolled her eyes.

            The strange girl exploded with laughter.

            **Darn it** "Stop screeching woman. You sound like a starving hyena." Vegeta stalked out of the dark hallway and pulled the empty chair out next to her and sat down. The woman blew a kiss at him and smiled. He kept scowling.

            "What's the matter dear? Bad day at the office? Did you not get to destroy anything today?" she asked him in a fake sweet voice, batting her eyes at him." 

            He locked onto her eyes, the blue orbs that shone brighter than a grenijin crystal, even in the dark. They pulled him into her essence and he could feel her all around him: soft, inviting, sensual, and yet comforting. Her hair still shone like the waters surrounding the many islands he'd visited on this planet, though now she was constantly groaning about how many grey hairs she had and despairing weekly over her newest "wrinkle". He remembered the early years when he'd fought his feelings for her as if it was his last and most desperate battle. He'd ignored her, left her, spoke cruel words to her and pretended that he did not care. But now after so many years it was hard to ignore or deny it. He still had trouble admitting it, but he … cared… for the woman and the… family… they had created. He was there to protect this fragile thing that was his own. Now here his weakness was, staring at him with longing in her eyes and he knew it was him that put that new spark in her blue pools. He was drowning in those pools. He had to force himself to pull out before he was lost in their depths.

He looked away, focusing on the stranger who was still snickering. He felt himself getting angry again. Who did she think she was laughing at him? He could kill her with his little finger if he wanted to but yet here she was laughing at him. There was something familiar about that laugh though. It was as if he'd heard it before.

            "Who are you?" He demanded curiously.

            Bra murmured under her breath, "That's what I'd like to know" 

**~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

It was dark now. The sun had finally set, the trails of colour gone from the sky, the air heavy and wet. There Goku was, trudging slowly through the path to his very dark, very lonely home. 

"I wonder when Chi will come back home" he wondered aloud, gently kicking a small rock that was in the middle of the path. He watched as the rock picked up speed and blasted down the path and towards the darkened forest.

"Owww!" came the cry of pain from the shadows.

"You should have felt that coming, you know. You should be able to sense oncoming danger and react to it." Goku said to the phantom from the shadows.

"Yeah, Yeah, Whatever!" replied the annoyed voice.  Goten limped out from what he though was the anonymity of the tree's shelter and bent down, rubbing his shin.  "Some how I did not think that I'd be attacked by my father right outside my house. Forgive me for being so stupid." He added sarcastically. 

Goku smiled at his youngest son's reply. "You should always be prepared for a fight. You are a warrior."

"Dad, I think you have been hanging out with Vegeta too much. Next thing I will hear you saying that you are the mightiest Saiyan in the universe or some thing."

            Goku tapped his heel on the ground. "Well… I just want you to be prepared that's all."

            Goten stopped rubbing his shin and stood up. He was now right in front of Goku. "Hey, what are you doing coming from Gohan's? And why is the house all dark?"

            Goku looked up into his son's eyes. He could hardly see the rest of him as it was so dark, but his eyes shone, like a candle's flame, flickering in the dark. They were looking at him, a bit curious and wary. **He probably is thinking I am going to try to surprise him again.** "I was having dinner there."

            Goten's eyebrows rose in surprise. "Dinner over there? Didn't mom cook?"

            "Well when I came back home Gohan told me that she was at Bulma's"

            "Bulma's? In West Capital. That's a half-day's ride. What is she doing all the way over there?"

            "Well, I don't know. She was gone when I got home," Goku paused for a second, and then continued, trying to change the subject. "How was your date?"

            Goten sighed. "It was ok. Went to a movie with a girl I met at work.  Good movie, average girl."

            "What was wrong with her," asked Goku.

            "I dunno. She was just average, pretty nice… good looking.  She was normal."

            " Yeah. I guess average is not a good thing for us, now is it?" Goku mused.  With that Goku quickly reached out his hands and made a clean jab at the bottom of Goten's ribs. He heard a sharp intake of breath and Goten was bent over, holding his stomach and gasping for breath.

            "Not…. fair… no… fair… dad," He managed to let out, between the gasps. 

            Goku shook his finger "You should always be ready," he laughed. 

            With a groan Goten launched himself on his father and began tickling him. 

            "Nooooooo… Tickles… tickle… Ha..ha.ha..ha.. Stop…" Goku was laughing uncontrollably.  Goten knew all his tickle softspots.

            "You should always be ready for surprise attacks," Goten said darkly.

            The pair were rolling around on the ground and laughing for ten minutes, Goku eventually getting the upper hand.  As soon as he got away from Goten's menacing fingers, he launched himself in the air and flew into the forest.

            " No fair! You are running away." Goten complained and immediately jumped up and followed his father, a little yellow streak marking his path in the dark.

            The curtain at the front window of the lit Son house moved slightly.  Videl turned away from the window and sighed. ** Why did they have to bring up so much strife now.** she shook her head and looked at Gohan, who was still at the table, now on his last bites.  She could see the look of concentration on his face. As soon as his father had left the house, veins had popped out of his head.  It all worried her terribly. She turned back to the window and rubbed her temples. **I don't know if I can handle this**

***~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

            Vegeta watched the woman and the strange girl exchange a look in response to his demand. His eyebrow twitched. He recognised the look! It was familiar, something that he's seen Bulma do before and only with one other person. It was a kind of a look that annoyed him. It showed that she shared a common bond with this person and that they were sympathising with each other. The only person with whom Bulma had ever shared that look was...

            "Goku's mate…you are Chichi." Vegeta announced with sudden clarity. 

            "What the hell…! Chichi? You can't…" Bra yelped. She jumped up and ran over to the other side of the table. She looked into her eyes. Then promptly took a step back, her eyes lighting up with realisation.

            Trunks eyes had bulged out at the news. " Whoa!! Amazing. No wonder I took her for Pan. She looks just like her grandma."

            The girl raised her eyes to them and Vegeta wondered how he had missed it from the very beginning. Since he'd come to this planet he'd made it a point of learning the ki signature of all the supposed warriors and defenders of this planet. In the beginning, he had done it as he knew that most of them really did not like him very much. Knowing that they would try to keep tabs on him, he'd made sure he had the same advantage as them and he also always knew where they were. Then, after Trunks was born, the woman and Goku's mate had become close, as Goku's youngest brat had begun to hang around. He'd grown to know her own unique signature, which was a bit stronger than the woman's and easier to discern. But it had been years since she had last been around him, their only contact now was when something threatened the earth, the last being the evil dragons themselves. But right here in front of him was that familiar power. He had of course always noticed the strangeness of her power, slight as it was. But he'd dismissed it due to theoh  fact that he'd never seen a female human fighter's ki before. And in general, human females were strange creatures. He glanced over at his own mate who was grinning from ear to ear. 

            Finally, she spoke. "Yes, Vegeta is right, I am Chichi."

            "So that's why you seemed so familiar." Bra mumbled. Then as if she'd suddenly remembered, she asked "But why are you like this? Was it another wish? But the Dragonballs don't exist anymore."

            He watched as she drew in her breath and spun a tale of how she found a magic knife that had been kept in her father's old palace at Frying Pan Mountain. He'd forgotten that she herself had been though of as royalty before She had lost her kingdom in a fiery explosion. Almost like him, in a way. She then told them that she'd wanted to mimic Goku and relive another childhood and had wielded the knife's magic power to return her to youth. Then she stopped, as if that was the end of her tale, but Vegeta sensed that it was truly not the end. 

             The woman then suggested that they started to eat. He did not attempt to discourage this as he knew that food that Goku's mate cooked was on a far higher level that that which his own mate had cooked. He dug in, revelling in the moistness of the meat. She was used to cooking for Saiyans and knew that rare meat was their favourite.

He looked up from his meal to keep watch on the others. Bra and Trunks were both absorbed by the food and gave no nothing to anyone else. But the woman and the girl were exchanging glances and smiles. He glanced at his mate and realised that she was sharing a secret with the girl. Something she thought that he would not notice. **It won't last for long** he thought to himself. His mate could not keep such secrets from him.

***~*~*~*~*~*~*~**

The wind shrieked past him, blowing his hair and his clothes. But still the air was hot, thick and hung around his body. Pressure was building up in the atmosphere.  Goten spun around in a loop and then levelled out. He spread his arms out and cut all of his power and let the wind take over. Immediately his body felt the tug of gravity and he began to fall, but then he caught a current and floated back up again. He loved that free-floating sensation.

He sensed something coming towards him, fast. He looked all around.  ** He's getting ready to strike**. Goten took control over his flght again, sure now that he was about to be attacked.  

Goku burst through from his hiding place of a dark, large low-lying cloud and jumped at Goten, attempting to tackle him.  Goten swung to a side, avoiding him by a few inches.  Goku immediately went into a crisp rollover and banged right into Goten's side.  Goten grunted as the smaller but powerful body collided with his. Goku grinned and held out a peace sign, mocking him, and the quickly flew away, back into the thick and dark clouds.  Goten shook his head and sighed, then began to drop suddenly. Right below him was the blanket of the forest canopy, where he had spent most of his time as a child, exploring and playing with Trunks and sometimes with Gohan. He levelled off as he approached the trees, continuing to fly at the same speed.  As he zoomed by, the leaves at the tops of the trees rustled. He could feel his back draft affecting the air around him.  He knew he must be disturbing so many animals that lived in the tops of the trees, but frankly he didn't much care at that moment.  He was having far too much fun.

He looked to his right as he felt his father's presence near to him, and there he was, still smiling.  "Hey let's land over there," came the suggestion from Goku, pointing towards a clearing. 

They landed a few seconds later and Goten fell on the grass, groaning and sighing. "It actually hurt when you ran into me. Geez, Dad". 

Goku leaned back and fell onto a grassy spot beside him and sat up, propping himself up with his elbow. Goten looked across at him. He was staring at him, a curious expression on his face, like he was trying to figure some thing out. He sighed, knowing that somehow or the other, he'd be made to make some kind of inquiry soon about what he wanted.  The daft expression on his father's face was driving him crazy, especially because he had inherited the same expression from him. He knew exactly how it felt. You always wondered how everyone else understood when you didn't and sometimes it even occurred to you that maybe it wasn't such a good thing you were so easy going.

Goten sat up, drew his feet in and hugged them tightly, rocking back and forth. This was a comforting position for him. That way he felt like he was in a rocking chair.  It was like his mother's rocking chair at home. She'd often sit in the chair while she sewed or mended clothes. He could remember from his childhood, every Sunday night after she'd finished cleaning up from dinner, she'd sit in the chair and rock back and forth, eyes closed, dreaming of goodness knows what. When he was quite small, he'd crawl up into her lap as she sat there, rocking to and fro, and curl up into her dress, pressing his nose into her chest and fall asleep. He'd only awake again that night for a moment, when groggily he'd awake to her blurry figure, pulling the sheets over his body and kissing him goodnight.  He had done that for years, until he's grown to big to fit in her lap and then he'd sit at her feet, holding onto the chair's leg.  Then for some strange reason, he'd felt that sitting at his mother's feet was too childish.  Why such thoughts had entered his head he did not know.  Ah... he remembered wistfully, that was when he's begun spending all of his free time with Trunks, who had teasingly informed him that he was being a baby, and that real brave men didn't rock themselves to sleep at their Mother's feet. Real brave men fought, they went on adventures, and they chased down wild dinos and had them for dinner.

"Ahem" He heard his father clear his throat. He stopped rocking, but did not look at him. He was waiting for him to say something. "Ahem" Goku cleared his throat again.  Goten rolled his eyes. **Will he get over with it already? The tension is unbearable** 

"Goten," he started. 

Goten breathed a sigh of relief. **Finally**

"You wanna spar?"

Goten sat there, stunned for a second. It had seemed like, for once, Goku was going to have an actual conversation with him. But he was glad he was wrong. It was the same old same old. He'd never had a real father-son conversation with Goku, and the prospect of having one now was somewhat daunting. He sighed and shook his head, a slight grin coming to his face. " Sure, dad. I have a lot of energy to work off after that pointless date."

A few seconds later they were both up and falling into ready positions.  Goten watched his father's form carefully.  He noted his outwardly relaxed state, but there was something about the way his eyes moved that belied some anxiety.  Most people would have missed it, even Vegeta, who knew his father's forms better than anyone else.  The only reason Goten picked it up was because he was all too familiar with it himself.  It was like watching a mirror, which reflected his own image.  The hiding that he had done, hiding behind the mask of innocence, was all a ruse to cover up his anxiety to the fact that maybe he was wrong to be so easy going, and that maybe he should be a bit different. 

A cold cutting blast of wind blew past them, dancing with their clothes, His father's gi rippled, the moonlight reflecting a silvery cast on it.  If he was human, Goten thought, his father might have shivered.  But alas, all that was seen was a wall, with no reaction to the sudden change in humidity.

He felt the movement before it was seen.  He knew it was coming.  But still he let him hit him. Goku blurred in at Goten's right side, left palm outstretched to strike a blow.  And when the blow came Goten doubled over and leaned to his left.  Looking up, his father was back in his starting position, shaking his head. 

"You saw that coming, why didn't you react?"

Goten glowered but remained silent. He knew he did not have to keep up the happy charade with his father.  He was feeling strangely more excited than usual at the prospect of a rough and tumble with his father.  He snapped his hands in from of him, turning his arm out, crouching and settling his weight onto his back leg. And then, he began to rock back and forth slowly.

At this Goku cocked his head on a side, a quizzical expression on his face. 

Goten sped up the rocking bit by bit, and soon he was just a blur. **I bet he's pretty confused now** he allowed himself to grin. 

A second later he was lying flat in the bushes, 30 feet away. He sat up, and picked a twig from his hair. **Maybe that was not then best of plans**

Goku was standing back in his original position, ready to actually start the fight. With that Goten needed no further coercion. He settled into a ready stance, cleared his mind and readied himself for a battle. Human eyes could not see what happened in the next few seconds. But at the end of it all, Goten was back on the ground again and Goku was standing above him with a stern look on his face.

"You aren't fighting me" Goku quipped, a bit annoyed. 

"Yes, I am! At least I am trying to." Goten barked as he got up off the ground wiping the grass off his slacks.

 He sighed deeply and settled down in the ready position again, but his father was not even looking at him anymore. He was now looking up at the sky. 

"It is starting to rain." Goku said sombrely.

Goten froze in his position, his eyes glazing over as a solitary drop of water hit his shoulder. His teeth clenched and his muscles tensed. Another drop fell on his face, rolling over the curve of his nose.  Yet another raindrop struck him, and another and another, and the drops started to fall faster and harder, rushing around him. 

Goku turned to look at him, " You are getting soaked," he murmured and fell into a ready stance as well. 

This time Goten attacked Goku first, attacking blindly but fiercely. The exchange went back and forth for half a minute, but at the end Goku had him pinned to the ground. He struggled hard against his hold, grunting in frustration that he could not move the small body off of him. 

Goku jumped off of him suddenly, stared him down with a quizzical expression. "What's wrong with us. Is everyone in this family mad with me about some thing? What else can go wrong? Gohan and the silent treatment, now you won't even fight back", he mumbled worriedly.

It was then that Goten broke down. He couldn't take it anymore. "It's not all about you, dammit! Why would it be about you? Frankly nothing you ever do bothers me or surprises me." He growled.

"Then what is it? For Dende's sake I need to know why everyone is acting so odd. First your mother, then Gohan, now you…" Goku asked.

He got quiet and looked down on the ground. Something suspiciously resembling a tear rolled down his face, but it could have just been a raindrop. He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. He began to speak. "You know, Most things never really bother me.  If it comes along, I can usually deal with it or avoid it." He scuffed his shoes against the wet grass. "But somehow I can't deal with…." he gestured all around him, "all of THIS… not now." He sank down to the ground. " I am alone. And I'll always be alone."

"But, you have us." Goku ventured.

"Us who!" Goten snapped. " What? Gohan, the super scholar has no time for me anymore. Trunks has an empire to run. We have not talked in ages. I have no friends at work cause I am afraid that if they got to know the real truth about my life, they'd freak out. And now…  I'm all alone."

"No...Us. your mom and I"  

Goten scoffed at the remark. "You have the audacity to put yourself in the equation. You don't even know me dad. Do you even know what I do other than fight?"

Goku cringed. "Um… you work in an office."

"Actually, I work for Z TV. Camera technician." Lightning flashed and Goten sat down on the grass again. "And  the worst part is, the one person I though I could count on forever, she left me…for you." He buried his face in his hands.

            Goku scratched his head. "You lost me a bit. I did not steal anyone from you, why would I?"

Goten looked up, incredulously at his father's innocent, bewildered face. 'MOM, she left me for you!" he screamed and the rain pelted him harder and harder.

Goku fell onto the soaking wet grass with the revelation. 

Hands still covering his face, he began to speak. "She just up and changed her entire existence for you. She didn't even tell me. She doesn't even care about me anymore. But I need her, dammit. I still need her. I used to be her baby. You weren't here. She raised me, trained me, she was my best friend. Then you came back and she forgot about me, but I didn't mind, cause she needed you then. Then you left again and she started to love me more than anything. Now it's all twisted. She does everything for you. Did you know that?  She loves you more than anything else. Now I realise that her loving me so much was basically because I was a mini you. Do you know how depreciating it is when your mother loved you only because you look and act just like you father?" Goten got silent again. His wet body convulsed as the thunder rolled all around them.

All was silent for a while after that. The lightning and thunder grew closer together and the duo sat there, raindrops pelting them like thousands of tiny ki blasts, trying to pierce the silence. Then Goku spoke. "It was raining that day, remember." 

"I hate the rain" Goten mumbled.

And they sat in the clearing in silence, until morning came.

***~*~*~*~*~*~*~***


End file.
